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Protests in Anantnag college as students object to sports festival

Publish Date: 24-08-17 9:36 PM

SRINAGAR: Violent protests erupted in Boys Degree College Anantnag on Wednesday after police organized a sports festival on the college campus.
The infuriated students who objected to the organizing of the event set ablaze the podium erected for the event.
Top police officials were scheduled to inaugurate the festival later in the day even as the college administration maintained that they had not given any permission for the event.
“The inaugural cricket match of the festival had just began when at around 11 A.M some students booed at the organizers,” a group of students wishing anonymity told Greater Kashmir.
They said the organizers later tried to hoist the tri-colour.

“This irked the students further who came out from their class rooms in large numbers and amid pro-freedom and anti-India slogans pelted stones on the organizers and the police deployed there,” the students said.
They said police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the students who however did not relent, forcing the police to leave the venue.
The angry students later set ablaze tents, hoardings and banners erected for the event.
Police, paramilitary forces and even army was deployed outside the campus even as the protests continued inside.
Senior superintendent of police Anantang Altaf Khan said, “The students vandalized the podium set up for the sports festival.” He, however, refuted that tri-colour was hoisted during the event. “It was not such an occasion where national flag is hoisted,” Khan said.
The SSP said the inauguration of the event was done later in the evening.
The college administration said that they had not given permission for the event fearing protests on the campus.
“We received a letter from police on August 10 that they are going to organize the festival in the campus ground, however we refused citing law and order issues,” in-charge principal of the college, Professor Ali Muhammad Dar told Greater Kashmir.
He said they also mentioned that during the particular period the ground could not be made available for sports activities during working hours.
“The police officials gave a positive reply to our concerns, however today morning we were puzzled to find the equipment for the podium being ferried to the college ground,” Dar said.
He said that he held a meeting with deputy commissioner Anantnag in this regard and was assured that the venue will be shifted.